CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS!!!

So tonight I'm fixing Chicken and Dumplings, it's a great recipe that I found online and I'm trying this version for the first time, hope it's good :)

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

INGREDIENTS

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 large yellow onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 pound boneless chicken thighs
* 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
* 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 3 tablespoons shortening
* 2/3 cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes, then stir in chicken and saute until browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in broth, vegetables, sage and thyme; mix all together and let simmer over medium heat while preparing the dumplings.

2. In a medium bowl, mix flour and parsley together. Add shortening and stir mixture into a coarse, mealy dough. Stir in buttermilk, a little bit at a time, until dough holds together and is soft but firm. (If needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more buttermilk).

3. Bring chicken mixture to a boil over medium high heat and drop round spoonfuls of dumpling mixture on top (do not let dumplings touch each other). Reduce heat to low, cover pot and let simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.

Menu Plan Monday!!!

Alright ladies, it's time for another Menu Plan Monday, thank you Laura for hosting this every monday :) I just love knowing what others are cooking, and I usually get really good ideas for my own menus!!!

So I wish I could thrill you all with some GREAT menu for this week, but when hubby goes TDY somewhere, it's just me and the kids and honestly, I'm not going to cook big meals because the kids just don't want to eat. A little nibble here and there and that's it.

With that in mind, this weeks meals are all kid friendly, it's like a kid party menu stretched out over the next two weeks LOL

Enjoy!!! I know I'm going to!!!

Slow-Cooked Sirloin!!!

This is what we're having for dinner tonight, it's already cooking away in the slow cooker and it smells heavenly.

Oh btw, the other day someone asked if I was going to share the recipe for the Smoky Flavored Barbecue Ribs, and since I posted it under my Slow Cooking Thursday post, just click here for it.

As always I will come back and post the pictures after it's ready to eat.

SLOW-COOKED SIRLOIN

1 boneless beef sirloin steak (1-1/2 pounds)
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstic cooking spray, brown beef on both sides. Place onion and green pepper in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Top with beef. Combine the broth, Worcestershire sauce, dill, thyme, pepper and pper flakes; pour over beef. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until meat reaches desired doneness and vegetables are crisp-tender.

Remove beef and keep warm. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking juices. Cover and cook about 30 minutes longer or until slightly thickened. Return beef to the slow cooker; heat through.

Yield: 6 servings
Light & Tasty Magazine Sept. 19, 2005

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff!!!

I came upon this recipe online and just couldn't pass it up. I LOVE Beef Stroganoff but never fix it in the crockpot, so being able to find a quicker and easier way to make it, is just a plus for me.

The house smells wonderful, is there anything better than crockpot cooking??? I tell you, the few minutes I spend dumping the ingredients into the crockpot are no match for the amazing meal you get at the end of the day :)

So here goes....I got this one from Cooks.com:

CROCKPOT BEEF STROGANOFF

3 lb. beef round steak, 1/2 inch thick
1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 med. onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 (4 oz. each) cans sliced mushrooms, drained or 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can condensed beef broth
1/4 c. dry white wine (optional)
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. flour

Trim all excess fat from steak and cut meat into 3 inch strips about 1/2 inch wide. Combine 1/2 cup flour, the salt, pepper and dry mustard; toss with steak strips to coat thoroughly. Place coated steak strips in crock pot; stir in onion rings and mushrooms.

Add beef broth and wine; stir well. Cover and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours. Before serving, combine sour cream with 1/4 cup flour; stir into crock pot.

Serve stroganoff over rice or noodles.

UPDATE: IT WAS DELICIOUS :)

CHICKEN CURRY!!!

Tonight's dinner is per hubby's request. A few weeks back I decided to serve my curry the way I'm used to eating it back home.

Up until that time I had omitted the bananas, green peppers and coconut as the garnishes because I didn't think they would appeal to my family. But a few weeks ago I decided to take the plunge and just gave it to them....they didn't really want to try it but decided to anyway and now, I am NOT ALLOWED to serve curry any other way. LOL

So I'm linking you to the recipe, because it's been posted before as Beef Curry. I use the same base recipe but change the main ingredient, either beef, chicken, shrimp or crab are just wonderful.

You want to be sure you have a good curry powder, mine actually comes from South Africa.

Enjoy!!!